UEFA Euro 2012

[Stuka]

If, and thats a large IF, England win against Italy, Germany will tear your team apart. Not as good as beating the Dutch but still..

Good to see you aren't getting overconfident and ahead of yourself then (athough you're certainly correct)...

Not overconfident, but confident in the way a person might expect to go to work and come back home. If that makes correct sense.?

[Abingdonman]

Germany would seem to be a better side than England,and they may well be,but its what happens on the night (assuming England can beat Italy!)that matters,the past doesnt matter,and look at Chelsea...murdered by Barcelona gameplay wise,but still won the big prize!
and whats more ....if a German trained horse can win at Royal Ascot anything in life can happen!

[LN Strike Eagle]

Not sure I understand why everyone is praising the Spanish so highly? They've not been challenged yet - France made it so easy tonight.

Germany would have ripped Spain apart tonight.

[ILoveLightnings]

Thought the French were very poor tonight. Will the Portuguese do any better?
So to tomorrow. Fairly hopeful against Italy. Come on England

[Abingdonman]

Spain didnt look all that for much of the game,but surely we all know another game is another day,if only football results were so easy to work out,I would have won the pools many times years ago...even without the help of Horace Batchelor!

[DanH]

The French game plan was clearly supposed to involve sitting deep and hoping they might nick a crafty goal from somewhere, the trouble with such a plan is that you have to be prepared to change it if you go a goal behind (especially with defending like that which led to the goal) and the French just didn't. The Spaniards looked pedestrian because they didn't need to be anything more. They never had to go up a gear with their performance, and quite frankly when you're playing tournament football when tiredness can be an issue, why bother exerting yourself when you can save your energy for the next game and still get a result.

[DanO1978]

The French game plan was clearly supposed to involve sitting deep and hoping they might nick a crafty goal from somewhere, the trouble with such a plan is that you have to be prepared to change it if you go a goal behind (especially with defending like that which led to the goal) and the French just didn't. The Spaniards looked pedestrian because they didn't need to be anything more. They never had to go up a gear with their performance, and quite frankly when you're playing tournament football when tiredness can be an issue, why bother exerting yourself when you can save your energy for the next game and still get a result.

France were diabolical last night. You can understand the San Marinos and Liechtenstiens playing that way against Spain, but FRANCE? They looked terrified of a Spanish side who, for all their "tiki-taka" passing, are definitely beatable, and lack a striking cutting edge.

Either Blanc got his tactics horribly wrong, or Les Bleus had another fall-out this week and weren't playing for him, or their team-mates.

[stuart n]

People slating Spain but they've played a lot better than England have! They're not the team they were 4 years ago but football is a simple game, if you've the ball the other team can't score.
If we win playing that way tonight they'll all be heroes in the press tomorrow.

[aviodromefriend]

if you've the ball the other team can't score.

Own goal

[Abingdonman]

Some folk no doubt find it bewildering that after watching the fantastic goals etc from Germany that Spain are the favourites to win it! .....Spain have to beat Ronaldo errr ..Portugal yet,but I'm sure if its a Spain v Germany or Spain v Italy or dare I say it... Spain v England final it will be a close
fought game
as for England tonight,I couldnt possibly predict the winners,they are even steven with bookies too,I just hope that England can go a goal up sometime...that will make it a game!

[Stuka]

Now for your last chance to go out gracefully. A well played loss against Italy would save English face & you can retreat from Kiev with your heads held up high. Because the Germans would take England to the cleaners on Thursday.

[Abingdonman]

Hasnt been a bad game,could go either way still (unless second half is a different game ) but even if we lose tonight,of course its possible we might meet up with the Germans in the cleaners after the semi!

[ILoveLightnings]

Extra time. We look tired especially Gerrard, went missing for a large part of the second half. Can't even think about this going to the dreaded....no can't even type the word

[DanH]

Bugger!

[zoomer]

Well, frankly I'm glad that's over.
Looking forward to two evenings of watching footie where I wont get stressed and scare the cat.

The key to winning seems to be don't have anyone called Ashley in your team.

[shaggy101]

Same old England. Why he didn't take Ashley Young & Wayne Rooney off is absolutely beyond me. But it is what we expected i suppose besides, Italy were by far the better team.

[centaurus18]

Ashley Cole is usually a reliable pen taker - guess everyone misses one at some point.
Young was poor all tornanent - but the only alternative wasn't even in the squad (Adam Johnson) - AOC is not a left winger and neither is Theo.
Stewart Downing would never get in the first XI in a million years currently.

[DanO1978]

As I said the other day, Pirlo... Quality footballer.

[PChaplin]

Young's penalty summed up his performance tonight, poor. He should of taken him off for the Ox.
What a player Pirlo is, he completely ran the show and as for THAT penalty

[DanH]

At least we won't have to face the absolute thundering the Germans would have given us on Thursday

Best team won, well done Italy

[MarkL]

At least we won't have to face the absolute thundering the Germans would have given us on Thursday

Best team won, well done Italy

...and well done England. This is just the beginning.

[centaurus18]

Young's penalty summed up his performance tonight, poor. He should of taken him off for the Ox.
What a player Pirlo is, he completely ran the show and as for THAT penalty

Oxo has never convinced as a left winger/wide midfielder - always more comfortable on the right hand side.
As I said earlier - Adam Johnson should have gone in place of Downing. He can cross the ball at least.....

[ILoveLightnings]

Bugger!

My thoughts exactly but just to reinforce this here's a sketch from The Fast Show to cheer us up.


Still, there's always the World Cup to look forward to.....

[Stuka]

Just thought I might "kick it off" Germany to win, but who will be best of the losers?

Don't think this German side is quite what it was at the World Cup when it took people by surprise. Marco Reus will be good to watch though, he had a brilliant season with Moenchengladbach. Spain might have peaked in 2010 too.

I reckon the Dutch might be a force this time - they're ripping Norn Iron apart at the moment.

Would you like to re-evaluate your assessment?

[Stuka]

Well done England! Bowed out with your dignity intact. No shame losing out on penalties to Italy. As an anglophile, I'd hate to see you being taken to the cleaners by our German team. Relax, we'll deal with the Italians & the Iberians after that.